Hi Alex. That was quite a rough night. Fair play for taking the Niak out in it. Single poled I would have been pretty anxious about it. I have a Rogen which is similar and as a rule if winds are forecast to gust much more then 25 mph it stays at home. People always over exaggerate the performance of their tents in wind I find! The leaking zipper stitching is very annoying. I had this issue on my Jannu. Some gear aid sil-net down the inside of the zipper stitching sorted it 👍
Hi Gary, you’re right, I’m beginning to think that as well or perhaps some are taking out wind meters which are not very accurate. I think that’s a good way to look at it. I might just tale this tent out for good to moderate weather. Thanks for watching!
@@alexonthemountain8343 More likely, they look at the weather forecast and assume that is what the wind speed was where they were without measuring it.
Hi. Many thanks for your video. I really liked it. I have a Niak myself, (with only mesh inner, for pure sommer use in kind conditions), but never tested in such conditions. I guess seam sealing is smart for such conditions for a yelllow label. I also have a Allak 2 used in similar weather with no leaks. I also have a Keron 3 GT used in "all weather Norway can produce". After about 300 nights it start to leak in the air vents and seam sealer was needed to "get it back as new". That was mainly my own fault. It is very easy to tight up all lines in the evening when the moisture make the tent "hanging" and forget to loose them in the morning. When the sun dries up the tent during the day it will cause major stress on all stichings. All Hilleberg tents have stiching that will swell with moisture and seal, but only to a sertain point... So for all tents with such stiching, (no matter what brand), it is important to untight the lines in the morning. I learned the hard way. 🤣
Glad you enjoyed the video! Yes the swelling when wet is an inherent issue with all nylon tents unfortunately. Silpoly doesn’t sag and handles UV rays much better, but most manufacturers make tents out of silicone treated nylon. Nylon is supposedly more abrasion resistant and also can be dyed with brighter colors. Cheers 🍻
Hi Alex, Im watching this from Scotland, Cant believe that's California, it couldn't be more like Scottish weather! I had a Hilly Nammatj GT which I loved but it leaked too in those weather conditions. On reaching out to Hilleberg they told me to Silnet the seams where needed. In fairness it worked but wasn't what I expected for the money I paid ! Happy camping and all the best. A
Hi Andrew, funny you should say that, because at the moment it looks a lot like Scotland with all the lush greenery due to the never ending rain we’ve been getting! And yes, that’s what Hilleberg told me to do as well… All the best! 🏕️🍻
The whole Pacific coast reminds me a lot of Scotland. I’ve lived up and down the coast line and it shares a lot with y’all over there (I also lived in the UK for a time too).
@@TheTrailDancer my theory is that some tents that were produced during the pandemic might have been rushed or suffered from other issues. Generally they’re nice tents and if they leak, it’s an easy fix.
That's serious conditions, Alex . The double poles seem to make a big difference, just a pity about the rain getting in . Inserting the second pole was a handy bit of advice 👌
Thanks for testing this tent out in such severe weather and sharing it! I recently picked up a Niak and have used it in really mild weather and it was great, but due to the fact that humidity was 100% due to constant thunderstorms there was a ton of condensation inside the outer fly before we even entered the tent, but inside of the inner, myself and my two dogs stayed quite dry all night. I reached out to Hilleberg to inquire about making the Niak more storm-worthy and inquired on whether I could actually double pole with 9mm and 10mm poles in each sleeve. They stated yellow labels weren't intended for extreme, exposed weather (of course) but they suggested if I absolutely must, that I could double pole with the odd combo but it would be a tight fit, but they also suggested that I guy out the vestibule from the guy point in the middle of the door panel. I think this would also add to the sturdiness of the tent in severe wind and reduce the vestibule flapping when cooking etc.
@@alexonthemountain8343 Are there 10mm poles for the Niak? Which did you use ? Thanks for the video btw. I just got the Niak and hope to test it soon . Will seal the zippers ;)
@@Lizard08150 yes, there are 10 mm poles for the Niak that you can purchase directly from Hilleberg. The ones that come with the tent are 9mm. So I used 2 of this poles in each sleeve… hope that helps! Cheers 🍻
@@Lizard08150 Hi there. A bit late but... you can buy the 370cm / 10.25mm poles for the Allak which fit the Niak. Have acquired some and they really improve the sturdiness of the tent in wind. They are 'slightly' heavier, as you'd expect, but it's only a few grammes.
Oh my goodness Alex!! Nobody chases a storm with a flimsy tent except YOU! I have lost 2 tents in a wind storm. One time, it had all my bedding and clothes in it, including a mattress. “There’s nobody else in the campground “ lol!!😂😂 Thanks for taking us along on your adventure. What an exciting time at a gorgeous location!!
Nichole! So good to hear from you and hope you’ve been well! Yup, you know me, as long as it’s bot a hurricane, I’m camping in it, 😬🤪🤣 And yes, it’s one of my favorite locations to camp at. The lake was about 40% of capacity and now it’s full thanks to all the storms. Cheers 🍻
It’s not really a flimsy tent. Whilst it may not be designed for conditions this extreme, Hilleberg material is some of the strongest there is for tents. Stood fine with the double poles. It’s rated at much lower wind speeds than this so I’d say this was quite a testament to the tent. Properly set up of course. Decent video. I must say I would have slept in the truck instead lol, fair play man! 😂 Would also say the leak is probably due to the material being stretched slightly in that extreme wind. Hilleberg don’t seam seal their tents so if you sealed it that would sort the issue I reckon.
Enjoy your videos Alex and wish you produced more of them! Only a dedicated wild camper would put themselves through a stormy night like that, so well done to you and the Hilleberg, although it's a shame about the leaking zipper flap. I have a 4-season Namatj 2 which I love to bits but have never fully tested it in those sort of conditions. All the best.
Thanks Richard, I’m glad you like them! Unfortunately between work and raising our little one it’s a bit tough to find time, but more are coming😃 I’ve been eying the Nallo and Namatj for a while. The GT versions look great. The vestibule would come in handy for cooking in one of these big storms 🍻🏕️ Cheers buddy!
Rough conditions. Nice video. Thanks for posting. Hopefully seam-seal will sort out the zipper issue. Let us know if it works (and with the Allak also).
I got the niak late last year and had it out 4 times it definitely flexes in winds over 20 mph so I've just got some 10mm poles and that should help with the flexing I've not had any leaking issues with the zip but have heard a few hilleberg owners say they have and given the hefty price this shouldn't be happening.but I love the space and ease of pitching
I somehow missed your comment Craig. I agree, the vestibule space is excellent. All in all it’s a great tent. I’ve just seam sealed it and I’m curious to see how it will do in the next storm. All the best 🍻
I did this type of camping at S. Carlsbad state beach in a similar but warm storm during an el nino year. Total blast. My zipper broke and everything got wet and I didn't care. Of course my tent cost 1/20th of what you paid for yours.
Top test, I have made the same experience with the Niak zipper leaking in heavy rain. Haven't reached out to Hilleberg yet, will seam-seal it from inside the zipper stitching. Other than that a super sturdy tent for a 3 season one. Very happy with the Niak.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I agree the Niak is a great tent, very capable even in some snowy conditions. Hilleberg told me to simply seem seal it. If you go to my latest video, I talk about a technique where you can seem seal it from the outside and where you don’t notice anything. You can fast forward to the 13 minute mark if you don’t wanna watch the whole video. It’s another option if you decide to seam seal the door. Cheers!
Tbf that's quite the storm and it's doing well really. Do the inner up that'll help. Or carry a tube of seam sealer to pop around offending area. Its a yellow tent not their storm ones so it's actually done well. Tony Hobbs. This my other channel 😆
Hey Tony! It’s actually a nice tent. The overalls space is fantastic for one person. Seam seal will more than likely address the issue. I haven’t re-tested it but I’m sure it will be fine. Cheers
You are so right, you see the way he sets up the tent, that he is a beginner. It has become a trent to save money, get the cheapest yellow label Hilleberg and expect the extremes of the black label, there never is an understanding on structural design elements and why there is no two pole black label dome tent e.g., just tunnels, like the Nammatj 2 or why the labels exist to begin with. Indeed the swelling process of the thread under extreme pressure will break up on thinnest materials first, as the sawing machine cannot produce infinite force. Sawn holes will stretch and leak. Greetings from a tent collector.
Mine leaked as well. Hilleberg suggested to seam seal. I was caught in an overnight storm with severe winds in the mountains a half day hike from my car and had stakes pull out from the amount of tent movement. I doubled up the guyouts and added stakes and it did the trick but not nearly as stable as the double pole looks in this video. Thanks for doing this. I’ll probably add an extra set of poles now.
That’s the same response I got from Hilleberg as well, so I’ve gone ahead and sealed the seams. The double pole makes a world of difference. Also you could order 10mm poles if you’d like to save some weight… All the best 🍻
I have one too and got a few drips. In Australia these tents cost around $AU1400. I find it disappointing that the advice is to seam seal. For that amount of money, it should be waterproof, so maybe Hilleberg should be doing that in the factory?
Many thanks Michael, glad you liked! I’ve never seen a Saitaris up close but looks to be an absolute bomber tent. Double poled it should be a beast. Cheers 🍻
I honestly didn’t think it was going to get that bad so soon in the day. The plan was to pitch the tent and seek shelter for the worst of the storm 🌪️😄 Cheers 🍻
Im from that area of California, but live in Finland now. I'm about to get a Niak in a few days for me and my 5 hear old son to use. Looked up the most recent video on RU-vid concerning one, and it was yours. Im a big fan of double poling, but also now interested in how the Black Label poles would do. And sorry about the leak. And letting Hilleberg know about the leak sounds like the thing to do.
Hey Johny, that’s awesome. Finland is one of my favorite places. I spent a lot of time in Helsinki (ex girlfriend, lol). As far as going with 10 mm poles, quite a bit of campers do that and they say it works very well. Yes, I’ve reached out to Hilleberg and they advised me to just use some seam seal. I’ve done that and will test it out during the next rainy season. Cheers buddy, thanks for watching 👍
The stability of this tent is greatly improved by adding four additional guy lines. Simply add them to the already existing loops so that each pool can then be supported from two different directions. The weight gain is negligible but the benefits are great. I used lime coloured 2 mm Lawson Glowire. The contrasting colour makes it easier to sort out any potential tangles.
Good for you that you got a functional one. In talking to a lot of Hilleberg owners, the tents seem to be hit and miss. Some very well-built and a few spotty. Nonetheless, the issues are easily correctable with seam sealer.
Nice one bud, this tent was on my shortlist for the Cape Wrath Trail next month, looks like it was having a real hard time in those 20 odd mph wind speeds before you double poled it, plus the leaks are no good eh, good to see it getting a real test. 👍
Hey buddy! Yep, I was surprised as well. Having said that, I think if you take 10 mm polls with you and just seem seal the zipper, you would probably be all right! Cheers 🍻👍
Hey Alex! Nice review. I am solving the same issue with the leakage of the zipper area of the Niak. Already sent a year ago to Hilleberg for an inspection. They treated zipper seams with silicone. Unfortunately, the leakage issue appeared again. I was thinking about using some other sealant, but there seems to be some manufacturing construction issue in this zipper area, and it will likely not be solved by any sealant. (I would like to be wrong!) I incredibly like Niak for its easy pitching, versatility, and other benefits. So it isn't easy to go for a different tent, even in a Hilleberg range. Please let me know if your sealant helped with the leakage issue.
Will do Michal. I’ve tried a different technique on this tent that was recommended by diluting the silicone at a 2-1 ratio vs the traditional 1-1. It’s supposed to allow the silicone to penetrate the seams better. Hopefully that worked. We’ll see during our next decent rainstorm. I’ll try and do another update video… And I agree, it’s a great tent so hopefully this works. ATB
@@alexonthemountain8343 Hi Alex! Thanks for a fast reaction. Keep my fingers for your solution, It would be great to hear your experience after that. I tried to browse for a similar experience with the leakage of the Hilleberg tents and have not found much. So I count on your experience and if there are more people suffering with the same issue I believe that your experience can help them to rid of the annoying leakage👍
Whenever I see a Niak I think ‘there goes someone who should have bought an Unna’! For the sake of a measly 400g the Unna offers so much more ! And it’s considerably cheaper as well.
I hate to be the barrer of bad news but if you encounter wind driven rain and the vents (under the cap) get saturated, the zippers along with the vent fabric will leak. I’ve had that happen on my Allak 2. If you scroll down on my video list you’ll find the video where that happened. That being said, the leaking is not dramatic and the inner fabric will keep you dry if that happens. Despite this, it’s still one of my favorite tents. All the best Rick
Nice one Alex, you put that tent through the ringer there, like sitting in a snare drum. Sorry to see the leaky zipper, been lucky here so far, but, had one night where the black fabric on the zipper started holding the rain. I use 10mm poles on the rougher outings, the 9mm flex a fair bit but guessing that’s what they are designed to do. You looked comfortable and relaxed enough considering how wild the weather was, cracking headroom in that tent but the height also a con as the wind catches it , swings and roundabouts as we see here… How did you find cooking in the vestibule ? Hope you stick with the tent mate, quality matériels, shame about the zipper there though… enjoyed the film… All,the best , Sean
Hi Sean! Other than that little incident I really like the tent and will definitely keep using it. I thought the vestibule was excellent. There was a lot more space than I originally anticipated having. I think it’s a fantastic tent for one person or one person and a furry friendn😃 Cheers buddy, I’ll see you around 🍻👍
Hi Bud. I've had two Niaks and the zippers leaked on both of them. Got a refund on the first one, but I liked the tent that much, that I said I'd give it another shot, thinking maybe the first one was a dud. But once again in heavy rain, the zippers leaked. But I'm gonna keep it, cus other than the leaky zippers in sideways rain it's a class tent. But Hilleberg need to sort out the zipper issues for sure. Subbed you anyway man.
I know it… A bit of a surprise it happens to so many Hilleberg tents after chatting with people that live in places like Scotland, Ireland, etc. (Places where wind driven rain is common). Thanks for the sub amigo! I’ll check out your vids after work, tonight. 🍻
Went up on a hill to try out the akto in a storm, forcast gusts around 90mph. While getting into the tent after sorting a problem outside, the wind shot in in the door and ripped it out of the ground,, only damage was a slighly bent pole.
But with my Unna I can’t push the poles through the continuous pole sleeves with all the pegs in the ground. I start with one loose guy line on the upwind corner, do the poles, then do the six pegs, followed by all the guys. But it’s quite messy when wind is above 20mph.
@@ANDIMILLS1 if you mean the corners of the upwind end I’ll try that again. But I think I found the pegs somehow ended up in the wrong place and prevented the poles from entering the reinforced section at the end of the sleeves. I’ll need to have another bash to perfect it! I’ve recently bought a second hand Soulo for windy places because of the difficulty encountered pitching the Unna in stronger winds.
REALLY REALLY ENJOYED THIS VIDEO … what hlleberg say …. The truth is there tents are the best but saying that i watched so many people breaking poles holes and leaks more from world cyclist touring that use it every day years at a time …. Is it better to just buy 5 tents and replace them over a year or buy one hillburg and replace it every year ..nothing last forever
Thanks man, I appreciate it! Hilleberg came back and told me that if it wasn’t condensation then to use seam seal. This is my second leaky Hilleberg tent. I personally like the feel and look but they’re not the most waterproof, lol. Cheers bud 👍
I’ve talked to a few Niak owners, some have that issue, and some don’t. It seems like the more problematic tents were produced during the pandemic times perhaps. That being said, it’s an easy issue to address. If you have a look at my more recent video in the Niak, I explain how you can seal it in a way where you don’t notice a silicone bead. Hope that helps!
I thought I understood that Hilleberg tents do not need to be seam sealed, but after seeing this video I did a quick search and discovered that this is actually a relatively common issue and yes, even Hilleberg tents should be seam sealed. It seems most people recommend silnet.
Silnet it’s a great “ ready to use” seam sealer. If you’re a little handy, I recommend using 100% silicone, diluted with mineral spirit. You can control how much silicone you want on the tent that way. Cheers! Thanks for watching…
I wish they did a solid door panel on the yellow label tents, would probaly buy a Helags 2 If they did. The step up to the Kaitum 2 for 800g extra is a bit much for a 1(2) man tent. Not going to DIY on a tent in that price range either.
That’s been one of my wishes as well with this tent. A solid door would be great to have. We could then potentially take it out in snow, and not worry too much about drift.
@@alexonthemountain8343 With out a top vent I’d be a bit worried in the snow 😅 But at least it would help with the cold wind (and sand). The rest of the inner is solid so why the whole door is mesh is beyond me.
You can probably peg out the upwind ones but tbh once I moved the tent, I was so beat up by the strom, that my brain cells weren’t firing all that well, lol.
All i hear is leaks and severe condensation from hilleberg tents even with the seams sealed so I’ll stick with my vango banshee that doesn’t do any of this at a fraction of the price
Like number 82. Awsome video. But an 800 dollar tent shouldn't leak or be double poled. I seen justin Barbour camp in the REI HUBBA BUBA TENT in worse weather and no leaks. And a third of the cost. And he didnt have to double pole it either. Hillinberg is slacking.😢
I know it… I definitely thought this tent could handle more. Welp, still searching for that perfect tent, lol! The Hubba Buba is a nice one. Cheers buddy 🍻
Sam Smith's is rubbish beer IMO but I haven't tried the porter. His brother John also started a brewery and that's better but not much. From Tadcaster near York - the water is good for beer and there's a few breweries.
